Coin-actuated lock for telephone-hooks.



No. 725,338.v PATENTED APR. 1.4, 1903.V

l J. E. HEAD.

COIN ACTUATED LOCK FOR-TELEPHONE HOOKS. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 24, 1902.

No MODEL.

TH: Nonms PETERS co, Puonmn UNITED STATES E PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. HEAD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONTROLLERCOMPANY OF AMERICA, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

COIN-ACTUATED LOCK FOR TELEPHONE-HOOKS.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,338, dated .April14, 1903,

Application ined April 24, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. HEAD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Actuated Locks forTelephone-Hooks,

of which the following is a full, clear, and

elty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

coin-actuated device applied to a telephone.` Fig. II is a verticalsection taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a verticalcross-section taken on line III III, Fig. II. Fig. IV is a View z5 takenpartially on the sectionline IV IV, Fig. III, and showing the finger formanually operating the device without the introductionV of a coin.

A designates ma telephone to which my device is shown applied.

B is the receiver hook arm of the tele-y phone.

1 designates the case of my. coin-actuated device provided with suitablemeans, such as the bracket-arms 2, by which it is supported at the sideof the telephone beneath the hooliarm B. l

3 is a coin-chute having an inlet 4 and an outlet 5, through which'acoin may be intro- 4o duced to fall into the interior of the casingandactuate the mechanism to be described.

6 designates Va'slide that extends through v an opening 7 :in the top ofthe casing 1 and is movable within said casing, being supported when inits lowered position by aledge 8, fixed to one of the walls of thecasing. The upper end of the slide 6 has adjustably connected to it ahook 9, provided with slots 10, that receive set-screws 11, by which the5o hook is held in any set position vertically on Figure I is aperspective view showing my semi No. 104,455. (Nb model.)

the slide 6. The hook 9 overhangs the hookarm B of the telephoneinstrument, so as to provide for the holding ofl said hook-arm by theslide 6. In the slide 6 within the casing 1 is a notch 12, and beneathsaid notch is a 55 bulging cam 13.

14 is a trigger mounted on a pivot-pin 15, seated in the side walls ofthe casing l. The .trigger 14 has a vertical arm 16, provided with alinger 17, adapted to engage the tongue 12 6o at the lower side of thevnotch 12 in the slide 6. At the rear edge of the trigger-arm 16 is a cam1S, that is arranged in the path of travel of the slide-cam 13, and ainger`14b, that occupies a position beneaththe slide 6.

19 is a horizontal coin-receiving arm of the trigger 14, positionedbeneath the outlet from the coin-chute 3. A

In the practical use of the device the parts normally occupy thepositions seen in Figs. 7o II and III, in which the slide 6 is held'bythe finger 17 of the trigger-arm 16,.so that the telephone hook-arm B isheld depressed. On thefintroduction of a coin through the chute 3 thecoin falls upon the trigger-arm 19 and 75 swings the` trigger into thepositionseen in dotted lines, Fig. II, thereby'relea'sing the slide6from resistance bythe disengagement of the linger 17 from the tongue 12of the slide. vfor use of the telephone. As the hook-arm B'is raised thecam 13 of the slide strikes against the cam'18 of the trigger-arm 16 andthrows the trigger 14 a greater distance than it was prev-iously movedby the introduction of the coin, and the coinis therefore permitted tofallout of the position seen in Fig. II and into the bottom ofthecasing 1. When the telephonereceiver is again placed on the hook-armB,the slide 6 is carried downwardly 9o, and the trigger 14 is returned toits normal position, where it again engages and holds the slide readyfor the subsequent introduction of a coin. The trigger-arm 19 is loweredby the weight of the coin dropped thereonto through the chute 3, thefinger 14 of the trigger 14 moves upwardly in the arc of a circle andcomes in contact with the lower end of the slide 6 and follows saidslide upwardly in the movement of the telephone hook-arm B. loo

The hook-armB may then be raised 8o On the replacing of thetelephone-receiver in the hook-arm and the consequent downward movementof the slide 6 the trigger 14 is returned to its normal position inengagement with the slide by being engaged through the slide bearingagainst the finger 141. The action against said linger moves thetrigger-arm 16 until it overbalances the arm 19 and falls intoengagement with the tongue 12n of the slide.

From thefforegoing it Will be seen that the actuation of the trigger isalways positive, inasmuch as the cams 13 and 18, respectively on theslide and trigger, act to move the trigger-arm 19 suliciently todischarge the coin deposited thereon, While the finger 14 serves tolimit the movement of the trigger and to effect its return after it hasbeen overbalanced in discharging the coin.

2O isa door that closes a doorwayin the casing 1, through which accessis gained to the interior of said casing.

-In order to enable the proprietor of a store or other placefjin whichthe telephone bearing my attachment is located to use the telephoneWithout the necessityof introducing a coin, I have provided means forthe actuation ot' the device that will now be described.

21 is a rock-shaft mounted in the casing 1, having fixed thereto the hubof a trip-arm 22, that is positioned beneath the horizontal arm 19. Thetrip-arm 22 is located in proximity to an extension-arm 14, projectingfrom the trigger le, so that by the turning of the rockshaft 21 saidtrip-arm may be thrown against said extension-arm to move the triggerand disengage it from the slide 6, so that the slide is released in thesame manner as in the introduction of a coin. 23 is a linger fixed tothe hub of the trip -arm 22 exterior of the casing 1 and arranged totravel over a dial 21, mounted on the door 20. The dial 24 preferablybears a series of numbers or other characters to which the linger 23 maybe moved, according to the position in which it is set on therockshaft,in a manner to move the trip-arm 22 into engagement with theextension-arm 14a of the trigger 14 for the actuation of said trigger.25 is a set-screw inserted through the hubs of the trip-arm 22 andfinger 23. This screw is adapted to bear against the rock-shaft 21 tohold said triparm and nger to the shaft 21. This arrangement dispenseswith the necessity of the proprietor and his clerks of a store frequented by the public being provided with keys to unlock the mechanismthat holds the telephone hook-arm or of their using coins or What aretermed slugs to actuate the mechanism, and though it is impossible forunscrupulous persons to actuate the mechanism by the device provided forthe use only of authorized persons the loss to the proprietor incidentto such fraudulent actuations would be small.

I claim as'my invention- The combination with a telephone hookarm, of aretaining device comprising aslide having engagement with said hook-arm,a tongue carried ,by said slide, a cam at the lower end of said slide, atrigger having an arm adapted to-` engage the tongue on said slide andan arm adapted to receive a coin, a cam on the slide-engaging arm ofsaid trigger positioned above the cam of said slide, and a fingercarried by said trigger extending beneath said slide and adapted to beengaged by the slide to move the trigger after it has been overbalancedby the coin deposited on the coin-receiving arm of the trigger,substantially as described.

JAMES E. HEAD.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, M. P. SMITH.

